UAAP Oct 1: La Salle escapes FEU rally, steadies ship ahead of Ateneo clash

De La Salle University avoided a late-game collapse and escaped with a 74-72 victory over Far Eastern University in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Tamaraws nearly forced overtime when Jorick Bautista slipped free for a wide-open baseline layup in the final seconds, but the guard failed to convert. 

That crucial miss allowed the Green Archers to run down the clock, draining FEU’s remaining fouls before time expired.

The win gave La Salle a much-needed bounce-back after falling to University of Santo Tomas over the weekend. The Archers improved to 2-1, securing solo fourth place in the standings and momentum heading into their highly anticipated rivalry game against Ateneo on Sunday.

True to form this season, the Archers once again had to grind it out. They held a 64-51 cushion entering the final frame but saw FEU chip away behind Mo Konateh, Janrey Pasaol, Bautista, and Jedric Daa. The Tamaraws trimmed the deficit to just one, 69-70, with 2:25 left to play.

That was when Mason Amos and Doy Dungo came through with back-to-back baskets, restoring breathing room at 74-69. Bautista, however, kept the drama alive with a clutch three-pointer at the 54.4-second mark, only to falter on the potential game-tying layup in the waning moments — the night’s biggest turning point.

FINAL: DLSU survives another superb FEU comeback, 74-72, as Bautista misses an open lay-up that could have tied the game.

Cortez: 14 points, 4 assists
Dungo: 17 points
Amos: 14 points
Phillips: 6 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists
Gollena: 14 points, 7 rebounds

( Vyn Radovan) pic.twitter.com/xtoovZAPtm

— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) October 1, 2025

Dungo, playing on familiar ground as a former UST Tiger Cub, led La Salle with 17 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting clip.

Amos and Jacob Cortez chipped in 14 apiece, with both adding four assists. EJ Gollena nearly registered a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds, half of them off the offensive glass.

Mike Phillips struggled offensively with just six points on 1-of-7 shooting but made up for it in other ways, hauling down 13 rebounds and dishing nine assists to anchor La Salle’s all-around effort.

On the other side, FEU’s search for its first win of the season continued. Pasaol lit up the scoreboard with 25 points alongside five rebounds and four assists.

Konateh produced 14 points and 10 boards, while Kirby Mongcopa added 13 points and seven rebounds. Bautista had 10 but will be remembered most for the layup that slipped away.

The Tamaraws fell to 0-3, joining idle University of the East at the cellar. They will try to finally break through when they battle Adamson University on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

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